Mystery Death Traced to Virus

Doctors have unmasked the “mystery death” that claimed 11 young lives and turned Mannavanoor village in Kodaikanal taluk into a land of gloom. They say that a “virus fever” had attacked the children of the village for the past one week, and are confident the disease could be brought under control The District Collector, Mr. H. B. N. Shetty. who returned from a visit to the village where the tragedy occurred said there was one more death to-day (April 9) bringing the death toll to eleven children and one adult. Twenty-five children are suffering from this virus fever and they have been segregated. The panchayat office has been turned into a ward for the children. One of the children was rushed to the Kodaikanal Hospital where it is making progress. Doctors have said that the patients will recover in about seven days. A team of doctors was rushed to Mannavanoor to-day to attend on the children. The entire village is being immunised. Mr. Shetty said he was keeping touch with the doctors in the village and has alerted the Government Erskine Hospital to rush medical assistance if and when necessary. Eleven children and an adult died during the course of last week preceded by an attack of fever and convulsion.